Troops from the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) and Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), primarily composed of Tutsi armed forces, killed over 1,000 civilians, predominantly belonging to the Nyindu community.
[3][4][5] In July 1994, following the assassination of then-President General Juvénal Habyarimana, whose 21-year-long reign had collapsed into genocide, Paul Kagame and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) seized power in Rwanda.
[13][14] In 1997, rebels advanced to Kinshasa, driving out Mobutu and leading to Laurent-Désiré Kabila proclaiming himself president on May 17, renaming the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
[18] Subsequently, disenchanted Rwandan Tutsi factions coalesced to form the Rally for Congolese Democracy (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie: RCD), aiming to depose Kabila due to his reluctance to share authority.
On August 23, 1998, a Maï-Maï orchestrated an ambush on the route between Bukavu and Kindu, which killed approximately 20 RCD and RPA forces, averting them from gaining control over Mwenga Territory.
[1][22] The initial attack took place at a Catholic church parish in Kasika village, located in the Lwindi Chiefdom, approximately 108 kilometers from Bukavu in the Mwenga Territory of the South Kivu Province.
[27][29] In Kilungutwe, which was situated 15 miles away from Kasika and served as a hub for other villagers to acquire supplies, soldiers identified as RPA, allied with the RCD according to survivors' accounts, opened fire on the unarmed population gathered in the central market square, resulting in the deaths of at least 173 civilians.
[27] The aftermath of the massacre reverberated throughout the nation, evoking thoroughgoing shock and disgust among the Congolese population, as well as garnering condemnation from prominent opposition politicians.
[31] Kofi Annan expressed deep concern for the victims and pledged ongoing support for regional initiatives aimed at facilitating a ceasefire, withdrawing foreign troops, and fostering democratic peace in the country.
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe claimed that Zimbabwean and Angolan troops were deployed to support Kabila's regime under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Andre Kapanga, the DRC's ambassador to the United Nations, emphasized the importance of troop withdrawal as a prerequisite for meaningful dialogue on a ceasefire.
[33] The massacre deeply impacted the Nyindu community, leaving them overwhelmed by grief and trauma as they grappled with the loss of their loved ones and the devastation inflicted upon their homes.